More Is Not Always Better
Your first thought might just be to choose the one with the highest base pregnancy compensation. In advertisements and recruiting brochures, this is usually the headline number agencies use to attract you to them. While that can be a good place to start, you also want to see what other items you could be compensated for. Items like a monthly allowance, maternity clothing, multiples compensation in case of twins (or more), c-section payment, mileage and transportation, lost wages, childcare and housekeeping, etc. All of these items will add up to your overall compensation. Agencies might have an advertised pregnancy compensation (the amount you get per month when pregnant), but if their comprehensive package is lacking, then your overall compensation may underwhelm you.
Look for the What-ifs
An agency might have a list of items that you compensated for if something happens. These can be things like: invasive procedures such as a D&C, amniocentesis, ectopic pregnancy, abortion/reduction; mock or cancelled medication cycles; embryo transfer payments; medication start payments; pumping breast milk; counseling services; and missing work. All of these items could happen, and if they do, you want to know what your compensation will be. Some agencies might have a lower pregnancy compensation (amount per month when you are pregnant) but have a really generous package of other items. In these cases, you could potentially receive more money with an agency that has a lower monthly pregnancy compensation amount than you would with the agency that just has a higher advertised pregnancy payment.
Location, Location, Location
Don’t forget that agency compensation packages will often vary from location to location. A surrogate in California or New York may expect a higher overall payment package than someone in Montana because the cost of living in CA/NY is much higher than Montana. While this is true, it doesn’t mean you can’t ask the agency if the benefit package changes across the states they recruit in. Then you can decide if negotiating over those differences is worth it or not. Other agencies (especially the bigger national ones with a large recruiting footprint) will have a consistent amount across states, so those agencies can also be good ones to look at when you are comparing your options.
Research and Investigate
Don’t forget that you have time on your side. You are not required to sign-up with the first agency you find or interview with. Look online and on social media platforms to find out what other surrogates in your area have to say about their experiences. Which agencies offered a great benefit package and were really supportive throughout their journeys. Look for generic benefit packages that agencies offer (you can often find these with a simple Google search) so you can make an apples-to-apples comparison. This information will all pay-off when you interview with an agency you like and the time comes to agreeing on an individual benefit package for you matching profile.
Be Reasonable, Not Rash
Some surrogates will be temped to peg themselves to the highest paying surrogate benefit package they can find on the internet. If you happen to hear of the Unicorn Surrogate (fictitious, or at least very unlikely to actually exist) out there who was paid $90,000 for her pregnancy compensation, and you decide to demand that same amount, the agency is likely going to say no. Even if the agency agrees to you your demands, you will be hard-pressed to find Intended Parent(s) willing to pay that much when other surrogate candidates at the same agency are available at a much more reasonable package price.
If they offer you $35,000 for your base pregnancy compensation when you know most other surrogates in your area are getting between $40,000-50,000, then asking to bump up your base compensation by $5,000-10,000 is not unreasonable. While there is some ability to negotiate your specific benefit package when you sign-up with an agency, if your demands are outrageously over-priced, you will never get matched. It doesn’t do you any good to be the most expensive surrogate candidate that can’t find an Intended Parent(s) to work with. Once you and the agency have come to an agreement on your specific benefit package, that will become part of your matching profile. Most agencies do not allow you to change your package or request payment increases at the contract drafting stage. So, be sure to do your homework and know what your options are before you agree to settle on a specific benefit package for your matching profile.
Conclusion
Agencies are designed to bring Surrogates and Intended Parents together. They facilitate matches and guide the surrogacy journeys. Each of them is different and their benefit packages will be as different as they are. Beware of very generic benefit packages with little details. The package details are often as important, if not more so, than the banner headline number you see on an advertisement. If the package provisions are very open-ended and vague, then the benefits you sign-up for may be very different than what actually appears in your surrogacy contract. Take the time to investigate and research the packages available at the agencies you interview with. Keep in mind, that once you agree to a benefit package profile, you will normally not be allowed to deviate from those payment amounts when matched.
▶ ▶▶ For more information and a no-cost consultation with Attorney James Mahan, please contact The Surrogate’s Corner!
